Train-order-delivery apparatus.



' PATENTED AUG. 4, 190a.

' No. 895,307; x

' B. E. SAPPENFIELD.

TRAIN GRDER DELIVERY APPARATUS. I

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1 4, 1901:

Gavan! W a A $q mm, v

EDGAR E. SAPPEXFIELD, OF \YAVELdND, INDIANA.

TRAIN-ORDER-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented au 4, 1908.

Application filed'November 14, 1907. Serial No. 402,166.

To all 2071 am it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. SAPPEN- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at \Yaveland, in the county of Montgomery and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrain-Order Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for delivering orders to moving trainsand consists of the novel features of construction and the combinationand arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andinexpensive apparatus of this character by means of which train ordersmay be delivered to the engineers and conductors of rapidly movin trainswithout danger of injury to the tram men or telegraph operators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a delivery apparatus ofthis character with an indicating mechanism that will notify the trainmen that an order is in readiness for them and also indicate to theengineer that the order or orders have been re-' ceived.

The above and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, are attained in the preferred embodimentof the same illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which trainorder holder.

The invention comprises an upright or post 1 adapted to be mounted asuitable distance from the track and adapted to carry at its top asignaling or indicating device 2 and adjacent to its lower portion oneor more arms 3. 4, from which may be supported the train orders. Ipreferably employ two of said arms as shown and arrange them atdifferent ele ations so that on the upper one may be supported theorders for the engineer and on the lower one the orders for theconductor. These arms are similar in construction and are mounted forhorizontal swinging movement in either direction, being arranged uponvertical pivots 5 in brackets or supports 6 upon the post 1. At theouter end of each arm is provided a spring catch 7 adapted to retainatrain order holder 8 upon it. Each of the catches 7 comprises a leverpivoted intermediate its ends and having afinger piece 9 at one end anda jaw 10 at its opposite end.

A spring 11 actuates the lever to cause the jaw 10 to be presseddownwardly upon the outer end of the arm and upon the jaw is a rib 12adapted to enter a seat or notch 13 formed in an arm or projection 14 onthe train order holder 8. The latter is in the form of a ring or loop ofresilientwvire or metal and has the arm 14 projecting radially from it.The train order is attached to the ring by inserting it beneath a springclasp 15 which may be of any suitable form and construction but which,as clearly shown in Fig. 4, is in the form of a resilient metal strip ors ring havin its central portion passed t trough and s idable in atransverse aperture in the ring, the inner end of the spring being bentas shown and attached to the inner face of the ring and the outer end ofsaid spring being shaped to provide a spring jaw which )resses againstthe outer face of the ring and is adapted to receive a train order ormessage as seen in Fig. 4. It will be seen that when the holders 8 havetheir arms 14 placed upon the top of the ends of the arms 3, 4, andbeneath the jaws 10 of the spring catches 7, the rings will be supportedin a vertical position so that they may be readily picked up by hooks orother suitable catching devices arranged upon the locomotive and cars ormanipulated by the engineer or conductor in any suitable manner. As therings or holders 8 are caught the arms 14 slip from beneath the catches7 and the arms 3, 4, swing around to one side of the post and out of theway.

In order to indicate to the engineer, conductor or'train crew that atrain order is to be delivered to them and also to indicate to theengineer that the train order or orders have been receivedI provide theindicating device 2 which is preferably in the form of a semaphore arm16 consisting of a blade 17 projecting from one end of a head 18 whichis pivoted intermediate its ends at 19 upon the top-of the post 1 andhas its other end forked to provide two arms 20 in which are arrangedcolored glasses or lenses adapted to be'moved into and out of alinementwith thelenses of alamp 21. This lamp maybe of any suitable form andconstruction and is preferably an. It ."rn-uvaa t. a a. m, rnngeuxau .1

Q I 1} c9530? mounted on a support 22 on the post, being sopositioned'that when the blade or arm 17 is horizontal the coloredglasses in the arms 20 are in alinement with the lenses in the oppositesides of the lamp and when said blade drops to a vertical position bygravity said glasses will be elevated to uncover the lenses of the lamp.glasses in the arms 20 are preferably colored 10 green. This indicatingor signaling device is operated by a rod 22 connected at its upper endto the head 18 and having its lower end connected to a lever 23 pivotedintermediate its ends upon the post 1 and having its other 15 endconnected by a rod 24 mounted for sliding movement in suitable guides 25upon the lower portion of the post. Upon the lower end of the rod 24 isa foot iece 26 which when depressed will actuate t 1e lever 23 and.

20 cause the rod 22 to swing the sema hore signaling arm upwardly to ahorizonta position. In order to retain the signal in its horizontal setposit-ion I provide a shoulder 27 upon the rod 26 in such position as topermit the inner end of the arm 4 to be swung into its path and to holdthe rod 24 in adepressed position. These parts are so constructed thatwhen the arm 4 projects at right angles to the track its inner end isdisposed above the shoulder 27 and serves to support the signal in itsset position, and when the train order holder 8 is pnlled off of the arm4' and the latter swings 1n e ther dlrection 1ts inner end disengagesthe shoulder 27 and permits the signaling or indicating arm to drop bygravity to its inoperative or vertical osition.

In operation the teliegraph operator or person at the. station placesthe orders for the engineer and conductor in the clasps 15 of theholders Sand then places the latter on the arms 3, 4, as aboveexplained. The arm 3 which supports the ordeis for the engineer is thenswung at right angles to the track so that the holder which it supportswill be in the path of the hook orcatching device u )on the locomotive.The foot piece 26 is t en depressed to swing the indicating arm 16 to ahorizontal oroperative posit-ion and the arm 4 is then swung at rightangles to the track so that its inner end engages the shoulder 27 andserves to retain the rod .24 in its lowered position. As the trainpasses the holders are caught by the hooks or devices upon the loco-'motive and car and the arms 3, 4, are swung around to one side, the arm4 in being thus operated releases the rod 24 and the signaling orindicating arm 16 drops to a vertical position and notifies the engineerthat the train orders have been received by the conductor. It will beundelstood that the blade 17 serves as a signal or indicator during theday and when in a horizontal position notifies the train crew that thereis a train The blade 17 and the order for them. The lamp 2 is used atnightand a green light indicates that there is a train order to bedelivered. v

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim is: I 1; A train orderdelivery apparatus comprising a post or support, an indicating deviceadapted to drop by gravity to an inoperative position, a rod foroperating said device and rovided with a shoulder, and a. horizontal yswinging train order supporting arm adapted to engage said shoulder tore tain the indicating device in an operative or set position.

2. A train order delivery apparatus coniprising a post, an indicatingarm pivoted thereon and having a blade and a lens, a

light in the path of said lens, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends tothe post, a rod connecting the lever and the indicating device, aslidably mounted operating rod connected to the other end of the leverand provided with a shoulder, and a horizontally swinging train ordersup )orting arm movable into and out of the path of said shoulder,substantially as described. l,

3'. A- train order delivery apparatus comprising a ostor support, anindicating arm ivoted t iereon and having a blade and a. ens, said armbeing adapted to drop by gravity to an inoperative position, a light inthe path of said lens and a swinging train order supporting arm ormemberfor holding the indicating arm in a set position. i

4. A train order delivery apparatus comprising a post or support, anindicating device gn vity actuated to an inoperative position and ahorizontally swinging train order supporting arm or member arranged upona vertical pivot for holding the indicating device in an operative orsetposition.

5. A train order delivery apparatus comprising a post or support, ahorizontally swinging arm thereon, a longitudinally extending springactuated catch pivoted upon said arm and formed upon its inner face witha rib, and a train order carrying ring providcd with a projection toenter between said arm and said catch and formed with a groove toreceive the rib on the catch.

6. A train order carrying ning formed with. an aperture, and a trainorder holding spring passed through said aperture and slidable therein,one end of the spring being secured to the ring and its other end beingfree to provide aspriug jaw.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aHi): my signature in thepresence of twowitnesses.

EDGKIKE. SAPPENFIELD. Witnesses:

' J. V. GARLAND,

G. \V. SAPPENFIELD.

